EVER heard of a car that can have two gears engaged at the same time?
Well, of all the outstanding features on the most powerful version of Audi's TT quattro line-up, the 3.2 V6, this is the slickest.
It's called DSG, which stands for Direct Shift Gearbox, has its roots in motor racing and is the only one of its kind in the world.
The basis for DSG is a six-speed box with a twin multi-plate clutch. In operation, one gear is engaged. As the next gearshift point becomes imminent, the appropriate gear is pre-selected but its clutch remains disengaged.
At the point of change one clutch opens as the other closes, the beauty being that drive is never taken away from the wheels.
This is a fantastic system that takes seamless gearchanges to a new level.
Plant your boot to the board and kickdown is instant with absolutely no delay between shifts.
Drivers have a choice of leaving the stick in the fully automatic position, which offers a choice of regular or sports settings, or using the F1-style sequential manual mode.
Using the steering wheel-mounted paddles is much the most enjoyable way to drive the TT. It's the closest you're likely to get to a Grand Prix car because the gears change in literally milliseconds.
And with a snarling 250bhp V6 under the bonnet, acceleration is lightning-fast - the tested roadster version hitting 62mph in just 6.7 seconds.
When this most powerful car in the TT range was launched last year it came with a few styling cues to distinguish it from the rest.
The look is more aggressive with 18-inch alloys, a mesh grille, chunky twin tailpipes and deeper air intakes.
Otherwise just firing up the 3.2-litre engine will give the game away as the burble at idle makes way for a firece growl when you press the throttle.
Chopping the roof off a car can inevitably means a loss of rigidity, so Audi formed two separate TT design teams to concentrate on the coupe and roadster versions separately.
They completed a fine job on the soft-top, which has little in the way of vibration and feels extremely civilised at speed, even on rough roads.
There's also a small bootlid spoiler which, along with some suspension tweaks and the quattro four-wheel drive system, ensures precise high speed handling.
The result is a car that not only looks seriously cool, but has the performance and safety to match.
TT Roadster versions feature front and side airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution and traction control.
Inside, the car looks sensational. The doors, dash and black leather of the seats and steering wheel contrast perfectly with the aluminium dials, vents and footrest.
Standard kit is extensive and the folding hood drops electrically in a mere 15 seconds.The downside of that is that it occupies some of the boot space.
There's no doubt the TT Roadster is one of the sexiest-looking cars on the road. But with all its power and technology, the cost of the V6 is up there in Porsche Boxster territory.
FAST FACTS
Audi TT Roadster 3.2 quattro (DSG)
Price: £31,950
Mechanical: 250bhp, 3,189cc V6 petrol engine driving all four wheels via 6-speed DSG sequential transmission
Max speed: 150mph
0-62mph: 6.7 secs
Combined mpg: 28.2
Insurance group: 20
CO2 emissions: 240g/km
BiK rating: 34%
Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles; 3yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint.